UPDATE: Shootout in Casper Leaves Officer Wounded – Suspect Dead

UPDATE: Casper Police have issued a formal press statement on today's shooting. We have included it in its entirety below.

Casper police officer shot in line of dutyCasper, Wyoming (May 6, 2018) – Casper police responded to a call today at the 1400 block of South Fairdale in Casper. Upon arrival, officers of the Casper Police Department engaged in an exchange of gunfire. One officer was struck by gunfire and is in critical condition. The suspect is deceased. The Department of Criminal Investigation is on the scene and will handle the investigation.Casper Police Chief McPheeters issued a brief statement saying, “We have asked for and are receiving the assistance of Natrona County Sheriff’s Department, Mills Police Department, Evansville Police Department, and the Wyoming Highway Patrol in covering our public safety needs in Casper for the next several hours. As everyone might imagine, this is a very emotional situation and the agencies have agreed to help us take our calls”

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K2 Radio news has learned that there was a shootout this afternoon in Fairdale Park near Lowell and Farnum Streets.

An eyewitness says he heard gunshots and went outside to see police exchanging gunfire with a man who had apparently been driving a white sedan with two children inside. Other witnesses say the man driving the car was an uncle to the two children, reportedly aged 3 and 6 years old.

The witness said the man let the children drive on the empty dirt lot, and had done so last week as well.

Police were called and an officer told the man to stop. Why the confrontation turned to gunfire, no one could explain.

At one point, witnesses said officers used the car for cover with the children still inside.

In the exchange, one officer was shot and taken to the hospital, and the man involved is dead.

Tom Morton/Townsquare Media

As this happened, the witness said that another man, claiming to be the children's father, pulled up and was shouting to get the kids out of the car.

Casper Police confirmed only the shooting and details on those shot. Since it was an officer-involved shooting, the investigation has been turned over to the Wyoming Department of Criminal Investigation.